Off to Dominica

We Left Guadeloupe on Saturday the 11th and we were going to sail as far as Marie Galante which is a sister island of Guadeloupe about 15 miles SE of Guadeloupe but the wind was in our favor so we decided to keep heading south to Dominica and got into Pourtsmouth at around 3:30 in the afternoon.  I really enjoyed Guadeloupe even though it is a french island and hardly anyone speaks english.  Wes did download the french Rosetta Stone and has been trying to learn french since we have been visiting so many french islands.  It seems to be a very difficult language to learn but hopefully some of it will sink in so at least we can find a bathroom, a drink or groceries when we need them.  

When you pull into the harbor there are “boat boys” to meet you and help you out with anything you might need.  They are very helpful and knowledgable .  They have to be certified guides to be part of PAYS (Pourtsmouth Association of Yacht Services) and they also patrol the anchorage, which is nice.  There are a few other boats in the anchorage that we had met before which is nice we keep bumping into them.  Rick and Helen who are on Symmetry III were planning to do the Indian River trip the same day we were so we decided to book it together since we had the same PAYS guide (Albert) assigned to our boats.  It was a really cool tour.  Albert picked us up at our boat in his 20 foot boat and we motored over to the start of the river.  Once we started up the river he had to shut off the motor and use oars because motors are not allowed on the river.  The river has been used in Pirates of the Caribbean II when they travel up the river to visit Calypso the witch and it was also used to film a series of Survivor.  The first house in the Pirates movie is still there but the one where Calypso lived has been torn down.  When you get to the furthest spot you can go on the river there is a bush bar which serves local drinks.  I tried the Dynamite, which is made from gooseberry juice, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg-oh and of course rum.  It was pretty good but what a kick.  

We will probably stick around here until Tuesday then head down island to Roseau, which is the capital of Dominica and the main town.  

This was an eel that was in the marina on Guadeloupe

A lighthouse we saw leaving Guadeloupe

This is the view of our anchorage in Pointe a Pitre.  it looks like it would be really loud but it wasn't  These freighters would come in all night and they would load and unload and then be gone by the morning.  It was a very busy port.

Our Guide Albert 

The Indian River

Having drinks at the bush bar.  The chairs were all made out of tree stumps